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Erdogan says Sarkozy makes political mistake

Türkiye Materials 22 December 2011 12:37 (UTC +04:00)
Not replying to calls of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy makes a big political mistake, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said to reporters, Anadolu Agency reported on Thursday.
Erdogan says Sarkozy makes political mistake

Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 22 / Trend A.Tagiyeva /

Not replying to calls of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy makes a big political mistake, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said to reporters, Anadolu Agency reported on Thursday.

Erdogan noted that Turkey will prepare some sanctions against France, if the Senate approves the bill criminalizing the denial of so-called "Armenian genocide".

"Turkey prepares a phased action plan, if the bill is approved," he said, adding that he will announce today an entire list of sanctions which is developed against Paris.

Before Erdogan underlined that the Turkish-French relations should not become a hostage of claims of third side, and Turkey will reply by all diplomatic means, if the Senate approves the bill.

The Senate intends to submit the bill criminalizing the denial of so-called "Armenian genocide" on Thursday.

A member of the French president's party, the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) which has the parliamentary majority, presented a bill to the legislative committee of the National Assembly earlier this month.

The bill which was signed by 40 members of the UMP party and the New Centre party, provides up to one year's imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros for those who deny the so-called 'Armenian genocide'.

The Armenians and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of Turkey - Ottoman Empire has carried out 'genocide' against Armenians living in Anatolia in 1915 and achieved recognition of these events as genocide in the parliaments of several countries.

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